Shuttle valve



Oct. 6, 1953 K. H. ECH 2,654,564

SHUTTLE VALVE l Filed Dec. 24, 1949 2' Sheets-Sheet l haa/kfw faire Hgc Oct. 6, 1953 H. PECH 2,654,564 l SHUTTLE VALVE Filed Dec. 24, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Qdi" s:

Patented Oct. 6, 1953 SHUTTLE VALVE Karl H. Pech, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to Manning, Maxwell & Moore, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 24, 1949, Serial No. 134,884 4 Claims. (Cl. 251-118) This invention pertains to valves of the kind known as shuttle valves wherein the opposite ends of a sliding piston are alternatively engageable with spaced, coaxial inlet valve seats, the piston being automatically shifted by the dominant inlet pressure. Valves of this kind are useful for various purposes, for instance, but without limitation, in hydraulic systems for the actuation of aircraft controls where, for example, such a Valve may be used for automatically cutting out a motor-driven pump and for cutting in a handactuated pump in the event of failure of the motor-driven pump to maintain the requisite pressure in the system.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide means of snap action type for moving the piston quickly and forcibly toward one or the other of its seats upon shift in the dominant pressure, but heretofore such snap action devices have usually been of such design as to impose a lateral pressure upon the piston, thus increasing its frictional resistance to movement and inducing eccentric wear. In the operation of valves of this type, as heretofore constructed, difficulty has been experienced, when one of the supply lines becomes blocked with oil or the like, in causing the piston to seat so as completely to close the blocked line. It has also been found difficult to obtain a proper seal between the piston and its seat at low pressures and to prevent unseating and leakage due to turbulence at high ow velocity. Another difficulty has been'that of preventing interow between the inlet ports, which is particularly serious when different fluids are delivered through the respective inlet ports.

The present invention has for one object the provision of a shuttle valve so constructed and arranged as to avoid the above diiculties and in particular to provide a snap action shuttle valve in which the piston is substantially free from the imposition of lateral pressure but which, when seated, is subject to a sucient, axially applied load to insure a positive seal even at low pressures and to prevent unseating and leakage at high iioW velocities. A further object is to provide a shuttle valve so designed as to permit the employment of a rubber seat element under operating conditions which exceed the physical strength of the rubber. A further object is to provide a shuttle valve of simple and durable construction wherein the movement of the piston is automatic and results solely from the differential pressures of the fluids supplied to its inlet ports. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the valve, showing the piston seated against the lefthand seat;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the piston in its mid-position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the piston Referring to the drawings, the numeral I des. ignates the lcasing of the valve. This casing isusually a casting, for example of aluminum orother appropriate material, and is here shown as: of cruciform shape in longitudinal, axial section, comprising the left and right hand transverse.l arms 2 and 3, the upper `leg 4 and the lower leg 5.. The transverse arms and upper and lower legs: are hollow and communicate with the interior' chamber 6. The arms 2 and 3 are internally screw threaded for the reception of externallyscrew threaded plugs 'I and 8 which are screwed into the respective arms, preferably with interposed packing to insure a tight joint. The outer ends of the plugs I and 8 are provided with nipples 9 and I0 for the ready connection of fluid conduits.

The plugs 'I and 8 are provided with axial bores II and I2 Iconstituting uid passages, these passages being axially aligned. The plugs 'I and 8 arev provided at their inner ends with coaxial inwardly extending bosses I3 and I4 which provide radial shoulders I5 forming abutments for resilient packing gaskets I6 which embrace the bosses I3 and Ill respectively.

A cylindrical guide sleeve I'I, which may, for example, be of stainless steel or other corrosionresistant material, 'is arranged within the chamber 6, the sleeve being coaxial with the fluid passages I I and I2 and being of such internal diameter that its ends may nt snugly over the inner end portions ofthe bosses I3 and I4, the end surfaces of the sleeve contacting the packing gaskets I6. Externally, the end portions of the sleeve I 'i are provided with a keyway I8. A pin I'Ia, projects into the keyway and prevents rotation o1 the sleeve within the casing. Ports or passages I9 and 20 are provided in the walls of the sleeve I'I, one or more of such ports or passages being arranged adjacent to but spaced from each end respectively of the sleeve and providing communication between the interior of the sleeve and that portion of the chamber S which is external vto the sleeve. The sleeve I'I also has diametrically opposite, elongate slots 2I and 26 (Fig. 2) at its mid-portion. The key or pin I1a prevents rotation of the sleeve so that the slots 2| and 2S are always at the bottom and top respectively.

A valve piston 22 is arranged to slide within the sleeve I'I,V the piston having a sliding t within the sleeve. At its central portion the piston is provided with inwardly extendingfcoaxial slots 23 and 24 unitedby arbore 25 oftfsmallerdiameter;l the right yand leftihand-'portions of the cylindrie cal wall of the bore 25 constituting abutment, ,5, surfaces for contact by the actuator, hereafter" described. As illustrated, the piston is proyided with peripheral iiuid grooves g.

The lower leg 5 of the casingfh'asea-passager 21 which, as here shown; is' 1iriternal-lyj.screwlOA threaded for the reception of theend Tof a uid" conduit. The upper leg- 4 of?fthe-:casing:isralso; internally screw threaded for the reception of a screw threaded, hollow cap 28 whose tp2is' provided at its under surface with a depression l5 3IkWhich-i1l receives-#tha generally 1- conicalI upper end portion SI of the upper arm off aI tog-gle'- levendevice. lI-'his--upper arm-is extensible, comprising the outer.- elongate sleeve 32f andthe inner*I slidin'glrodftheIlatter having-amv enlarged head 20 Bit-(Figi 2)'. at itsflower 1`end which formsan abut-v mentifor the lower end-"ofA acoiledspring 35i the upper: 1, end-lof' lW-hich :engages the-under surface ofs: a: headf onf lthe part "32E This springr coni stantly urges the parts L32fand33 in opposite 25' directions, f thus tendi'ngetd increase the{ei`fective length:of-thefupperfarmforthe toggle; The'lower armrzesioff lfthe toggle-fisfnotched- 'at itsjlower endA and'restsf-upcn a xedf ulcrum bar l'ext'endingj tra-neversely;V across-thef=lowe1epart*of the cham= ber" This-rigide lower arrn-l 38A extends f up" through? the elongate' slot l214m the guide sleeve and-its1-upper=end-39 Sgenerally conical shape) is -receivediin la depression-1int the lower'face of thefpartSd-g" the arrangement being 'such' that' the upperfand ldweritogglearms arej'capableof relative-angular movement 'while "remaining inf. endwiseL contact, although Without 'being actually` attachedtogetlier; The lower `le'ver'armt i which? is rigid-f and 'which constitutes the 'operative or` actuator elementof the toggle, is provided 'at 'a point intermediate its ends with a spherical enlargement-llwhich'is located in'th'e central bore 25i-of lth'e' pistoni 22 :and always.- contacts the. right and' left f portions of-the ."wall' V'of fthe. bore 25? at points inf'th'e longitudinal axis 'of "the pis-4 ton. The-Torce -appli'ed"bythefactuator lever 38T to thepiston is directed'axial'lylOfjthe piston and l inftheaxial line 'ofthe valve seats. f

In order to insurea"idtight,seal,' .both at' high :and low-pressures, without requiringex treme-precision inI machinin'gjthe 4parts, each. of.' the; end-faces* of thejpi'ston is vprovidedfwith :a,y concentric annular groove -which receives an an-u nulus 4I (Fig: 4) Lofjelastcallydeformable `sealY ingmaterial, foriexample rubber, which. is bond.-` ed to the piston so"tlfat`it'cannot ,become loose-4v orfdropf out of *thegroovei Eachlvalve .seat ,come L prises a Verticallann'ular flat`face-42f (l'igr 4) adjacent Ato* the*v uid passage through the-seat,y thi-s surface' beingjdesigned 'for direct .metal-.to metal contact "with, the-fend.A surface. of -th'e-Y piston 1 inward-ly of 'the groove which'l receives .the matee- L rial- 4I. Outwardiy'nf'this' contact surfaceJlZ, the valve seat is provided with a pair ofy concen.- 65 tricclearance grooves 43"and 44 separated .by a. projectingannular rib'46which, in radial'sec-etion, is of truncatedv triangular form, its ilat radial face lying-in' alp1ane(Fig.,4) beyond and to theright ofthepiane'of'thecontactface 42.- The metal-toemetal' Contact* at the face' 42 supports the ultimate*V seating pressure; an annular'clearance 42a 'Y being. provided lbetween' the groove 43" an'dfithe innera'surfaceotfthe casing?? This .arraeementlpermits thefusezoffrubber as theseai' ing material, although the pressure to which the rubber may be subjectedexceeds, thenormal physical strengthfof the rubber. Willen the piston" moves toward the seat, the projection 46 rst engages the rubber to provide a seal and as the pressure increases, the rubber is deformed andlfluws radially into the spaces 43 and 44 forming two radially spaced annular ribs. At the endof the'piston movement the surface 42 makes metal-toemetat contact with the face of the pistn'.' The valve herein described is particularly designedcjfor:use.inf.an installation in which the passages II and I2 are the inlet passages. When so"'ernp1yed, and whenrthe piston is seated as shown in Figs. 1 and 4", a higher pressure Will subsisti-in theespacesf-llland"44 thandn-th'eidle inlet I` I, but Asince there is a -rnetal-to-metaly coni-f tact inwardly of- 'the ygroove 44,1 the 'rubber 4I' 'is' preventedl from' bei-ng foverlo'ade'd, cutf, or exe truded by-th'e action-ofthe high'lpressure fluidf" When pressureA is supplied `through the` inlet pass-agey IIf'withth'episton 22sea-ted, as shown:A in` Fig-1 1"; thelpis'ton-/willL remainl seated unti;lsuifr cient r forcef is-developedrto overcome "the fluid" pressure acting on" the right h'andend ofth'e' piston' as -well'A as vthe force" exerted' bythe 'springiV 35 lactingthrough thetoggle levers;l pres-v sure increases at the'inlet II 'relativel'yjto' the` pressure at the inlet passage" I2g`the'piston'starts tdmoveaway-fromthe/left hand seat.' However, lid" lcannot flow fromvthe passage." Ifl into the chamber Sf'until thefpiston haspmoved t'o'fthe: right as fviewed in'Y Fig:` 1)' 4suilciently lto uncover; the apertureor apertures"|9` andto: cover the Y aperture` orfapertures 201 As4 shown'gin Fig. 2,",

wherethe piston'isinits mid"-'posit-ion',` it` v'vllb'eA seen' vthat' both apertures j I9 and"'20 'are closedjl soft-hat, for-arr instant; fluidicannot flow from.t either inletd `passage' II or f I 2`-` into the chamber` 61 and so tcuthe'outlet; Whenv the pistorrhas.r moved'. to therighti beyondA the mid-positronL shovvnl inFig. 2, even"to'a very slight extent, the'. force' storedup in the 'spring`35'duringthe move.

ment of theI piston/'from the "position of^Fig.1 to Ythat or "Fig.' 2,l is 'su'ddenlyfreed .,anda-ctingc through'the-sphericalenlargement Iofithe actu:` ator lever 33%direct-ly againstthe' wallof Jahre 25g greatly accelerates' the movement of the; pistons towardfithe right, causing it' to `seat rmlylagainst the seat at the inner end of the pll'gl Obviouslyfwhen 'the relative Ainten-sity of `theprese. sures aref reversedf as v.respects the. passages., I I4 and I 2,1 the lpiston will'move inthe oppositefdifl rection, theftoggle acting in ,thesamer-mannen, with af-snap-actioir'to accelerate the nalfmotion.` ofl'fthe pistoni'anddnsurerm andleaktight seatsY ing'foffthepiston against the left.handfseat.,

Even though; in moving'toward one. of theaV seats; for'l example that'lcarried Thy... the. plug,

the Linlet-passage I2"'sh`ould Yb'e blocked, forex;-

arnplef-byroil or'oth'er Huid, v,the mnvementof,the pistcnlj toward that seat. is .Y not prevented .sir-ice. thfevpistcn does not'have t Venter the passageelz';4 and since' thereis aslightl' clearance .between the: pistonand lits .guidi'ngrsleevehv I 1, allowing; uida, entrappedtibetween, the end .of ,the piston and: the?, seat which itis'japproaching, ,toseep vout :between:1 thepiston" and i' sleeve andescape through the: apertures '2l` Thearrangementiabove described,providestinfaA very' simpiemanner for. obtainingfthe desiredi ola--I jects, itbeingino-ted 'in particular.. that thea-piston crease the frictional resistance of the piston to motion nor cause eccentric pressure of the piston against the guiding walls of the sleeve.

It is further to be noted that by the arrangement disclosed interflow between the passages l l and l2 is completely prevented; a very rm and leaktight contact is provided between the end of the piston and the valve seat, and the piston is moved solely by the differential pressure without the assistance of external forces such as motor devices auxiliary to the valve itself.

While a desirable embodiment of the invention has been illustrated by way of example it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination in a shuttle valve, a casing of cruciform shape having an internal chamber, a plug tting into each transverse arm of the casing, each plug having an axial ow passage and a valve seat at its inner end, an elongate sleeve within the chamber coaxial with the valve seats and extending from one plug to the other, the sleeve having a fluid passage through its wall adjacent to each of its ends, a piston slidable within the sleeve, the opposite ends of the piston being designed to engage the valve seats and close the fluid passages in the respective plugs, the lower leg of the casing having a passage communicating with said chamber, a hollow cap fitted into a bore in the upper arm of the casing, and a toggle comprising a lever fulcrumed at its upper end within said cap, said lever being extensible in length, a spring tending to increase its length, a second lever fulcrumed at its lower end within the lower part of said chamber, the upper end of said latter lever and the lower end of said first lever abutting but being free for relative angular movement, the piston having a transverse bore through which the second lever passes, the latter lever having a part intermediate its ends which contacts the piston only at the axis of the latter.

2. In combination in a shuttle valve, a casing having axially aligned internally screw threaded openings, a screw threaded plug fitting within each opening, each plug having an axial iluidflow passage and having an annular seat surface at its inner end, a guide sleeve within the casing coaxial with said threaded openings, the inner end portions of the plugs fitting within the opposite ends respectively of the sleeve, packing interposed between the opposed surfaces of the sleeve and the respective plugs, a piston which slides with slight clearance within the sleeve. the opposite end faces of the piston being substantially at but each having therein an annular groove of substantial radial width, an annular mass of resiliently deformable material filling each groove and being bonded to the wall of the groove, the seat having concentric grooves of such diameters that they are substantially opposite the inner and outer concentric walls respectively of the groove in the piston, the latter groove being of an inner diameter greater than that of the annular seat surface of the corresponding plug thereby providing an annular portion of the end face of the piston for metal to metal contact with the seat surface of the plug, the seat having means for indenting the deformable material as the piston approaches the seat. thereby to iiow said material radially into the concentric grooves in the seat.

3. In combination in a shuttle valve, a casing having axially aligned, internally screw threaded openings, a screw threaded metallic plug tting within'each opening, each plug having an axial flow passage and having an annular radial shoulder and a cylindrical axial boss at its inner end, the end surface of each boss being shaped to provide a flat annular metallic seat face bordering its flow passage, the end of each boss also having an annular rib projecting beyond the plane of its seat face and bounded by coaxial grooves inthe end of the boss a resilient packing annulus embracing each boss and resting upon the adjacent radial shoulder, an elongate guide sleeve whose opposite ends fit snugly about the bosses of the respective plugs and contacts the resilient packing annuli, and a piston which slides within the sleeve, each end of the piston having an annular face designed to make metal to metal Contact with the seat face of the corresponding plug thereby to close the flow passage through the plug, each end of the piston having therein an annular groove and a mass of resiliently deformable material lling said groove, the diameter and location of said latter groove `being such that the deformable material is contacted by the annular rib on the plug before the head makes metal to metal contact with the seat surface of the plug.

4. In combination in a shuttle valve, a casing having axially aligned, internally screw threaded openings, a screw-threaded plug tting within each opening, each plug having an axial uidow passage and having an axial boss at its inner end of a diameter less than that of the screw threaded portion of the plug, the annular, inner face of each -boss constituting a valve seat, an elongate guide sleeve whose opposite ends t snugly about the bosses of the respective plugs, means operative to prevent relative rotation of the sleeve and casing, a packing gasket embracing each boss and with which the end surface of the sleeve contacts, the sleeve having apertures in its wall adjacent to each of its ends, and a pist0n slidable within the sleeve, the piston being of such length that when one end is in contact with one valve seat, its opposite end leaves uncovered the apertures in the sleeve at the opposite end of the casing, and spring means operative to resist motion of the piston away from either seat until suicient pressure is developed to overcome the spring.

KARL H. PECH.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 767,732 Bromley Aug. 16, 1904 1,033,103 Humphrey July 23, 1912 1,764,193 Bruehl June 17, 1930 1,847,073 Ernst Mar. 1, 1932 2,300,694 Overbake Nov. 3, 1942 2,339,378 Clench Jan, 18, 1944 2,354,791 Boldt Aug. 1, 1944 2,417,494 Hoof Mar. 18, 1947 2,440,478 Kehle Apr. 27, 1948 2,481,460 Williams Sept. 6, 1949 2,524,951 Ashton Oct. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 543,894 Great Britain of 1942 

